Police nab suspect in Everett purse snatching

EVERETT — A language barrier didn’t stop police from catching up with a suspect accused of stealing a purse from a woman who was pushing her baby’s stroller in south Everett earlier this week.

The victim called police through a Spanish-language line after her purse was taken Tuesday afternoon in the 800 block of 112th Street SW.

When the call was disconnected, she had a friend serve as a translator.

Police asked a series of questions that resulted in a description of the suspect and what had happened.

The thief was described as a young black man wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with a skull logo around the zipper, a light-colored hat and white tennis shoes.

Police initially thought that the woman made motions indicating the suspect wore shorts, but police later believed that the suspect wore saggy, baggy pants that fell down while he was running away from her.

The woman explained that she was pushing her 1-year-old baby in the stroller to check her locked mailbox of her apartment complex when the thief grabbed her purse and ran.

He reached over the child and pushed the stroller into the woman to prevent her from chasing him, court papers said.

He stood a few feet away while he took her wallet, phone, cash, iPhone, debit card and other items before throwing the purse at her.

She told police he laughed at her and told her he didn’t speak Spanish.

He wasn’t laughing for long.

Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies and Everett police set up containment. A police dog led them to the suspect, 23, around 4th Avenue W and Everett Mall Way. He was found in possession of some of her belongings.

He was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of robbery and theft.

Deputies asked for a judge to think about the potential danger of the robbery when setting bail.

“Please consider the fact that in this act, (he) not only frightened (the woman) but also placed a child’s safety in danger by reaching over the child to take the purse, then forcibly jostled the child when using the stroller in the commission of the crime,” according to a police affidavit.